


Tactical Changes

by orphan_account



Series: Counted [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Caring Derek, Disability, Epilepsy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Morgan loves Reid, Seizure, Seizures, absence seizure, fatherly gideon, fatherly hotchner, postictal, seizure disorder, spencer's secret, tonic clonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 19:44:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3146351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Typically, Spencer's seizures and work were separate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tactical Changes

Typically, Spencer's seizures and work were separate. A twenty-second absence seizure here, a thirty-five second simple partial seizure there that largely went under the radar. While bothersome and permanent, Spencer could handle them and the usually quick and small nature of the seizure types he was prone to on a daily basis meant he could hide them, too.

Until Morgan started noticing, that is. Once their relationship had expanded beyond work, and love began to sincerely develop, Spencer has unveiled his health condition to Morgan and explained what he would witness if he was around during any of the seizures he experienced. Derek realised he'd seen Spencer zoning out in an absence seizure before and began to recognise the signs during briefings and meetings, leading him to regularly rehash things that others had said for Reid's benefit. As the relationship between Derek and Spencer continued to deepen, Spencer would blink back to earth twenty-seconds after checking out to find Derek watching him. A little frayed on the edges but ultimately okay, Spencer would smile and refocus himself on his work and the seizure would be forgotten. 

While Gideon and Hotchner were well briefed on Spencer's epilepsy status, the majority of the crew - except for Morgan - were completely in the dark and Spencer had warned Derek fondly that he was to ensure he kept Spencer's privacy for him. There had been a small row, in which Derek had argued that Spencer needed to be able to trust those around him if he ever had a serious seizure but Spencer had discredited the likelihood of his tonic clonic seizures happening at work with statistics, a brief overview of his medication and a full five minute lecture which finally caused Derek to promise to keep quiet, just to shut Reid up. 

And yet, somehow, it did happen. Statistics and lectures aside, epilepsy proved just how unpredictable it could be, even with controlling medication. 

Reid threw his satchel over the back of his chair and dropped into it, turning it immediately to the computer. He logged in, looked up to greet JJ and Hotch with a nod and smile as they arrived and filtered off to their own work stations, and only then drew his focus away from the computer when Derek's hand clapped onto his shoulder and he held out a mug of steaming coffee in the other. 

"Half an canister of sugar." He assured as Spencer took the mug between both of his hands and smiled out of the side of his mouth. 

"Thanks."

Derek returned the smile and slipped across to his own desk across from Spencer's. He logged into his computer and drew up his emails. 

As Reid was about to take a gratifying sip of his coffee, Hotch appeared on the stretch of landing above their desks and called out for he, Derek and Elle to join him in the conference room. Abandoning his drink with a longing look, Spencer grabbed his satchel and headed toward the conference room with Derek close behind and Elle trailing with her laptop. He yawned as he slipped down into an available chair and blinked at Hotch and Gideon as they paced before a blank whiteboard, waking for the room to fill and fall silent. 

"Three murders, all with the same MO." Gideon began and flicked on a tv screen with the controller in his hand. "Lux Matterson, Emma Bains and Katy Wallace, all nineteen from Florida. All three were seen, two nights apart, leaving the swimming baths in their hometown and none of them arrived home. They were each found a day later, hogtied and bloodied, raped and badly beaten." 

As the images flashed back and forward on the screen, displaying the gruesome end the girls had met, Spencer blinked his eyes repeatedly as his vision clouded. He licked his lips and rubbed his palms on his chinos as he felt himself sweaty. 

He knew the feeling - emptiness and distance filled his head, his ears hummed and his face felt flushed. He tried to concentrate as Gideon and Hotchner continued to speak but while he could see their mouths moving, no sound made it to his ears. He swallowed around a cotton wool dryness in his mouth and turned robotically to look at Derek beside him. 

He braced his hands on the table and pushed against them to stand but his movements were choppy as the seizure built quickly. He was fading fast toward unconsciousness and all he could to was call out to Derek... 

 

"Deh..." 

The groaning, slurred half-uttering of his name made Morgan draw his eyes from Gideon and his presentation. He watched Spencer push himself up from his chair and immediately crash back onto his backside again. He smirked, but it faded quickly as Spencer looked at him with wide, fearful eyes before they began to roll. 

A deep, groaning rumble escaped Spencer's throat and his body pulled taught, sending him to the floor of the conference room with a bump, cracking the side of his face off the corner of the table as he slid down on a rigid pile of limbs.

"Shit." Derek slipped down onto his knees as Reid's body stiffened further, his limbs tightening and fingers locking as his jaw pulled down and his throat constricted over a cry. 

"Jesus." JJ exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. "Spence?" 

"Move the table away." Hotch ordered and Elle and Gideon quickly slid it as far across the room from Spencer as possible. "Chairs too." He added as Elle had already began to pull them free of the area. 

Crouched close to Spencer as his body started to contract and spasm rhythmically, Derek kept an eye on the second hand on his watch and another closely on Reid's head, ensuring the convulsive movements didn't cause him to smack it hard into the flooring and cause any more injury than the table top already had. 

The choking coughs as Spencer forced thick saliva from his mouth in gags made JJ wince and the clucking sounds from his throat that accompanied each jerking movement made her want to cry. She hadn't witnessed a seizure before and the idea of her first being on a friend was breaking her heart. 

"That's the two minute mark." Gideon said, checking his watch, eyes fixed on the tense fingers of Spencer's hands as they jerked at his sides. 

"He doesn't usually go over four minutes." Hotchner supplemented and Gideon nodded his agreement. 

Derek looked at them briefly. "I've only seen this once." He admitted, eyes quickly focusing back on Spencer as he choked on a mouthful of saliva and struggled in a breath. "He usually just has absence seizures."

"This is epilepsy?" Elle asked, incredulous. 

Gideon nodded as she searched him for answers. "This type of seizure is rare for Reid, that's why he never wanted people to know. Hotch and I did, of course, but he has these so little he just wanted to keep it private. We respected that wish." Gideon shrugged. 

"Three ten." Hotch spoke up. 

"It's slowing." Derek whispered, watching as Spencer's working limbs began to relax. By the four minute mark, the only sign that the seizure had happened was the dampness across Reid's cheeks and the small, rhythmic tick in his bottom lip. 

Spencer's eyes shut slowly and his shuddering breathing settled to something akin to that of a restful sleep. Morgan reached into his face and brushed his hair from his brow, catching a streak of blood from where his forehead was cut from the fall. 

"Spencer? Can you hear me? Spencer, open your eyes. Look at me. Spencer." 

After a moments harassment, Spencer's lids fluttered and he sluggishly drew them open. It took a few attempts but he focused his eyes and landed them on Derek sitting in front of him. 

"Hey. Welcome back." 

Spencer's tongue slowly swiped across his lips and Derek watched him grimace. "Deh..." 

"It's okay, Spencer, don't try to talk. Lie still and quiet." Gideon's voice sounded and he crouched beside Morgan so Spencer could see him. "I'm going to get you a pillow and blanket and Morgan and I are going to lift you onto the couch in here and I want you to sleep for at least an hour. Morgan will stay with you and we'll talk when you're feeling up to it, okay?" 

When Gideon had mentioned making Spencer comfortable, Hotchner instructed Elle to collect whatever she could find to make a make-shift bed on the sofa for Spencer to sleep. She balled her and JJ's cardigan and sweater up for a pillow and managed to find an old sofa throw with the help of one of the officer juniors. 

Morgan and Gideon carefully eased the exhausted doctor up in a smooth lift onto the leather couch. Derek made sure he was laid on his side and pulled the tattered throw over his fatigued body. 

"Do you want some water or anything?" Morgan asked, pushing Spencer's hair away from his face once again as he lay comfortably on the couch. Eyes now open but exhausted and ready to sleep, Spencer shook his head.

"No." He mumbled. "Head...hurts." 

Derek nodded, "Yeah, buddy, you head butted the table on your way down."

Spencer frowned. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." Hotchner tapped his hand against Reid's outstretched legs. "Rest, okay?"

Gideon and Hotchner led JJ and Elle out of the room, promising to brief them on the postictal care Spencer required and how to handle his seizures. Derek made himself comfortable on the floor beside the sofa as Spencer began to drift into an exhausted sleep. 

Typically, Spencer's seizure and work were separate. Until they weren't anymore.


End file.
